Brown Longtail
Urbanus procne
-2.15, -77.69
Field Notes
Description:
This little brown butterfly, though lacking the fancy colors of many is one of my favorites. I have no idea why. It just think it's COOL. It is small with a wingspan of 3.7-4.8 cm and a body/tail length that is slightly less. It is completely brown with a light white/yellow/green stripe nearly the width of each forewing and a shorter one towards the tip. The length and intensity of the stripes varies considerably.
Habitat:
U. procne is found from Southern Texas down through Central and South America into Argentina. They are generally found in open grassy areas of tropical/subtropical forests. This one was found in a clearing in the Amazon rainforest of SE Ecuador.
Notes:
These are active little butterflies, continually moving. It came and went quickly, stopping briefly to pose for this one picture only, and then continuing on about its business, whatever that may have been.
Males have a costal fold enclosing scent scales on the leading edge of the forewing. Females deposit eggs on the host plants. Caterpillars eat leaves; young ones live in a folded leaf nest.
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